The Haunting Memory
by twohill
Summary: Three years have passed, but the memory of that certain day still haunts her. Hermione hates the pain it causes her, but without the memory, she wouldn't be whole. Draco & Hermione Oneshot.


Hermione sat next to the window and stared outside. It was her thinking spot, somewhere she spent most of her time.

It was exactly three years after a certain tragedy. It was a memory that haunted her. All she ever wanted was to let it go, yet, all she ever lived on was this memory. And without it, she would have no direction, no meaning in life.

She closed her eyes as the light wind blew onto her face. She let her mind focus on three years ago...

"Speak!" Lucius yelled, louder than the first time.

Hermione simply glared at him, and shook her head.

"I will repeat this only once. Tell me what Potter is up to and you will be spared." Lucius was getting impatient.

"I won't betray my friends."

"Oh what loyalty!" Lucius said with sarcasm.

"Too loyal. That loyalty is going to cause you your death." Lucius pointed his wand at her.

"Kill me if you must. My lips are sealed." she said firmly, glaring at Lucius.

"I won't. Not until I had enough fun. A little torture might make you spill the truth. Crucio!" Lucius yelled, followed by evil laughter.

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to ignore the electrifying pain surging through her body. She wanted to scream, but the pain was too overwhelming for her to even open her mouth.

"Father!" someone yelled.

Hermione felt the pain escape from her body as the surprised Lucius withdrew his wand.

"What are you doing here, Draco?"

"I came to see if you needed help with the mudblood."

Draco spoke smoothly, but Hermione could sense a little uncertainty and fear in his voice, and she frowned.

"Ah yes, you came at the right time. I do need help. Extort information from her."

Then, Lucius walked out of the library and left his son to do the rest.

"I won't say anything Malfoy. Give up." Hermione said softly, her tired eyes shut.

"Granger, I'm not here to torture you. I'm here to rescue you."

Hermione's eyes opened immediately, and she snorted.

"Help me? I won't believe you Malfoy."

"Even if you don't trust me, I'm still getting you out, Hermione." he said firmly.

Hermione. He called her Hermione. Not Granger. Not mudblood. But by her first name.

She felt her stomach do a little flip flop and her eyes moved from the wall to his face. She could almost faint. He looked so sincere, so honest. Yes she admitted, she did like Draco, she liked his bad ass attitude. But his soft side that was shown two seconds ago simply made her melt.

However, she could not change the fact that he was on the dark side. He could not be trusted and what he had just displayed could have been a lie.

"Hermione eh? You think by using my first name, you can make me fall for your trick?" she glared at him.

For a moment, Draco looked sad, hurt.

Hermione bit her lip, regretting what had just come out of her mouth, and the look on his face caused her heart to ache. Well, at least a little.

"I'm still getting you out. Come on." he undid the ropes that binded her legs.

Just then, Lucius came through the door and Draco stood up.

"What are you doing?" Lucius questioned.

"I was just-"

Draco got cut off by his anxious father.

"Nevermind what you were doing. We need to either extract information out or kill her now. The dark lord is coming soon." Lucius told his son.

"Nothing you do will make me tell you anything!" Hermione screamed, with the little energy she had left.

"Very well. You shall meet your end." Lucius pointed his wand at her, a vicious grin plastered on his face.

Hermione saw Draco's eyes go wide.

"No!" Draco protested.

"What! Son, we have to get rid of her. You heard the dark lord."

"But, I--Father, won't it be better if I do it? After all, it is a good way to prove my loyalty to the dark lord."

Lucius hesitated for a moment.

Draco's heart was pounding so hard, waiting for his father's reply, and he wondered if Hermione, who was standing close to him, could hear it. He looked at her, hands still behind her back tied with ropes, glaring at Lucius, as if all ready to sacrifice herself.

But Draco did not want that. He wanted her to be safe. Anything for her safety.

"Fine, you do it." Lucius replied.

"Thank you, father." Draco took out his wand.

With a shaky hand, he lifted his wand and pointed it at Hermione, trying to perfect his glare at her. But Hermione was not fooled. She knew behind that glare, was someone who was soft, someone who had no intention of killing her.

But she knew Draco had to do it. Or he would suffer a horrid fate under Voldermort. She closed her eyes and was ready to die, with no regrets, under Draco's hands.

"Be quick, I'll go check if the dark lord has arrived." Lucius left the library once again.

"I can't." Draco whispered when his father left.

"You can, Draco. You have to." Hermione looked into his eyes with sadness.

The mention of his first name coming from the girl he had loved for years, was too much for him to bear. He couldn't kill her. It was too cruel.

Draco shook his head.

"Come on Draco. You have no choice. I'm not afraid. You're here with me." she managed a small smile.

Draco looked deep into her brown eyes, capturing all that life and intelligence she had in her.

He moved closer to her, keeping eye contact, and slowly, leaned in to kiss her.

It was not as passionate as those kisses you see in romance movies. Neither was it as sweet.

But it was special. It was a different kind of kiss.

One which lasted only a few seconds, for they knew, if they had gone on any longer, none of them would be able to let the other go.

But that few seconds was filled with strong emotion, it was a kiss that would have gone down in history.

After they pulled away, Draco continued to stare into her eyes, and gave her a small smile.

Hermione returned the smile, and her heart felt whole.

But that heart shattered as soon as she heard footsteps coming towards the library.

"I said to be quick! What is taking you so long?" Lucius yelled at his son, when he entered the library again.

"I'm sorry father, I-"

"Just do it now." Lucius replied, with hardly any emotion.

Draco stared at his wand, then at Hermione, and he felt as if all his blood was rushing into his brain and clogged it up, not allowing him to think.

"Draco!" Lucius exclaimed when more footsteps and yells were heard outside the library.

Hermione was brave and waited for her end to come, as Draco whispered,

"Avada..."

Hermione looked at Draco, wanting to absorb every detail of his face before her death.

"Kedavra." he completed.

Hermione could not move. She stared at Draco's body on the floor, his eyes closed, no sign of emotion on his face.

In order to protect his love, he ended his life, ending all misery.

Hermione just rested her head on Draco's body, and closed her eyes, sniffing in his colonge, breathing in the last of what remained of him.

A lone tear slipped out of her eye as Harry, the order and death eaters burst through the door, firing hexes at each other. Hermione ignored it. She didn't care. She wanted to die in that battle, lying next to the boy she had loved so much.

But she managed to survive and until that day, three years later, she sat by the window and still could not forget what she saw and felt, the day Draco died.

The only thought that comforted her was that he had gone to a better place, free from suffering...


End file.
